


Prisoner

by SteampunkWilson



Category: All Hail King Julien
Genre: Don't @ Me, Flashbacks...? I think, Friendship, Hoo-ah!, Hurt/Comfort, I briefly stole Bossi's headcannon about Willie's pot plants, If the characters are OOC then I'm sorry, Pancho being sad again, Pancho needs love and a hug, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Some angst, Willie is a good friend and he cares, fun sized felon, headcannon based, not explicit though, not ship based, references to violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:35:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27796276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SteampunkWilson/pseuds/SteampunkWilson
Summary: Crammed into a jail cell, a prisoner of his own fear and memories, Pancho feels that there is no way to escape his own trauma that just won't leave him alone! At least, not until Willie shows up.___A headcannon I have based on Pancho staying in his jail cell at the end of s5e11. More trauma and soft hurt/comfort friendship feels.
Relationships: Pancho & Willie
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	Prisoner

**Author's Note:**

> This boi deserves so much love! Which is why it's my duty to torture him, hehe. I hope you enjoy this! :)

Pancho took deep breaths as he crammed himself into the furthest corner of his cell, back pressed tightly into the wooden bars, clutching his knees tightly. He tried to focus on something, anything, around him, bird calls in the jungle, the distant sounds of his friends far away and their party music, but all his mind would lead back to was one phrase he had heard Julien say:

"Now that my uncle's back in town-"

My uncle...

His breathing quickened, quickly blotting out all the other noises around him, leaving him alone with that one line. Over and over again his mind took him there, to that fear that had spiked through to his very soul the moment those words has passed Julien's lips. His heart raced in his chest as his paws clutched at his head, trying to bury his face in his knees. His mind wouldn't leave him alone. So many memories rose up and taunted him, memories of the footstool programme, the submarine and-

Pancho bit his lip, trying not to throw up. The humidity of the evening air was making him feel clammy and sick. It was bad enough that he was closed into a jail cell, he hated that, but the density of the air around him was just making him feel even more trapped.

He felt vulnerable. He felt like an easy target.

The moment Pancho had heard Uncle King Julien's name being mentioned, and gotten over his initial shock, he had been quick to abandon his and Andy's secret underground toothbrush supply ring and barricaded himself in his cell. Ironic really. The place he hated most (being trapped) ended up being the safest place for him to be.

Even when Julien had abolished the prison and everyone had been allowed to leave, Pancho had stayed. Stayed so he could curl up in a wooden cell and be locked away forever where even his worst nightmare couldn't get him.

 _"You remember what happened last time you failed, don't you Pancho?" The king said, not a hint of kindness in his words. Pancho clung to his forearms, feeling very exposed as the older lemur towered over him, hands on his hips. His stomach was churning with fears and misery. His body ached with bruises and having to stand upright when he was exhausted from the day's training. Every part of him wanted to collapse. Every part of him just wanted to curl up into a ball and stop existing. He knew what was coming. He knew what would happen when he failed. Behind the king's looming smile was nothing but cruelty and a sick sense of punishment. The bruises and scrapes all over his body ached and throbbed as the king glowered menacingly..._

With a sudden gasp Pancho snapped back to reality, blinking as he tried to get his bearings. Internally he cursed himself for getting so wrapped up in his memories. It was just a name. The former king might not even be in the kingdom anymore.

That didn't stop him from being scared, of course. His chest dramatically rose and fell with the force of his breaths, his heartbeat pounding in his ears, throbbing throughout his entire body, his sweat mingling with the stifling humidity of the air and making him feel antsy and uncomfortable. He eyed the closed door of the cell and whimpered, just waiting for the former king to show up and reprimand him.

Thunder boomed up above and Pancho jolted violently, a short scream torn from his throat. Seconds later, it began to rain, small splashes dropping into the dirt and wooden platform all around him. Pancho whimpered again, clutching his head in his paws to offer himself what little comfort he could. His fur slowly began to get sodden and soaked as the rain fell through the bars of the cage and drenched him with it's force. Everything felt even more clammy and uncomfortable. He shivered violently and buried his face in his knees again to try and block out everything, to try and slip away to a place where the world couldn't find him.

"Pancho?" Pancho felt a bolt of adrenaline sear through him and jolted upright, springing into a more defensive position as he searched wildly for the source of the voice. His eyes eventually landed on Willie who had seemingly arrived at some point. The taller lemur was leaning against the bars of the cage with a confused expression on his face. Pancho just stared up at him, still breathing heavily, his eyes wide and terrified.

"Pancho." Willie said again, ran dripping from his whiskers and onto the wooden deck of the prison. "What are you still doing here? We're all back at the village burning the camera stuff, or at least we were until it started raining." He squatted down until he was at Pancho's level, resting his arm against the bars of the cell for balance. "Are you okay?"

Pancho couldn't bring himself to reply. He was still breathing in small panicked breaths, almost hyperventilating, his eyes struggling to take in the scene in front of him. Willie, his friend, anxious and cautious Willie, was here. Rain was falling and his head was aching with stress and memories.

A small sob emerged from his lips and he couldn't even muster the urge to supress it.

"I'm fine." His voice quivered even as he spoke, he was a little surprised by how weak and pathetic he sounded. Who was he, Willie? If Uncle King Julien saw him now, he would surely laugh that cruel and wicked laugh of his before Pancho had to suffer whatever horrible punishment he deserved for not killing the king-

"You don't look fine."

Pancho breathed a shaky sigh as Willie's words snapped him out of his own thoughts, preventing him from falling into yet another spiral of memories and pain. The concern on Willie's face was all too plain to see and Pancho felt a light shiver spread throughout his body, his stomach twisting unpleasantly at his own longing to be cared about.

He hoped it was raining heavily enough that Willie couldn't see the tears that were making their way through the fur on his cheeks.

Suddenly, there was a clanking noise and Pancho looked up to see Willie had stood up and was stepping inside of the cell, the door wide open behind him. His heartbeat quickened in his chest at once, his mind racing.

"How, how did you do that?" He stammered, looking wildly from Willie to the door, the door that was open, the door that anyone could step through.

Willie glanced down at Pancho, a small frown gracing his features. "It wasn't locked." He explained.

Of course. Of course it wasn't locked! Of course Ted was far too nice to even think about locking the prisoners in, especially not when they declared themselves 'institutionalized'. Pancho moaned slightly with the realisation that anyone could have walked in all this time, that he wasn't safe, he'd never be safe...

Suddenly, Willie was kneeling in front of him, taking Pancho's paws in his own, gripping them tightly.

"Just breathe." He said softly. "Come on, with me. In and out."

Pancho took a few shaky breaths in time with Willie's, internally cursing himself that he was having to take breathing advice from Willie rather than the other way around. A few more tears fell down his cheeks, which allowed his vision to clear. Pancho could see Willie's face more distinctly and it reassured him enough to take a few more breaths. Eventually, he felt his heart slow down in the chest, panic receding slightly and giving him room to just breathe.

The rain fell softly all around them, dripping off their fur and turning the fluff in their tails into sodden, damp strands. Pancho slowly focused in on the sound of the rain splashing and the feeling of Willie's firm paws wrapped around his own, squeezing reassuringly until he was calm enough to at least think.

"T, thanks." He stammered, teeth chattering from the cold rain.

Willie smiled at him. "Its okay." He said softly.

Pancho glanced away from Willie's earnest green eyes and down at the floor of the cell, misery building up in his chest now that panic was out of the way. The walls of the cell now seemed impossibly tight around him, like something he would never escape. A small whimper escaped his throat at the thought and he drew his knees up to his chest, breaking Willie's comfortingly tight grip on his paws.

"Pancho." Willie said firmly as Pancho tried to avoid his gaze even further. "You have to tell me what's wrong. Please?"

Pancho sighed bitterly. His heart ached in his chest with a yearning to be helped by anyone, to let anyone understand what it was like to live like this. He didn't like to admit it, but he was weak for Willie's compassion.

"He's back." Pancho murmured and Willie shuffled forwards, straining to hear it. "I, I can't do that again. I've got to-" He trailed off into another harsh gasp as more memories poured in from the darkest reaches of his mind.

"Who's back?" Willie asked, suddenly taking hold of Pancho's wrist again, reminding him to breathe. Pancho took a deep shaky breath and continued.

"Him. Julien's uncle. The king, the..." He couldn't continue. He couldn't get himself to say the words. It didn't matter, Willie obviously understood. The other lemur gave a sympathetic gasp and tugged gently at Pancho's wrist, making Pancho look up and face him. He began to feel a little dizzy, Willie's eyes were filled with so much kindness and understanding it was overwhelming.

Telling Willie and Horst about the events that had occurred after Julien had played the footstool programme tape had been painful and difficult, but he knew that if he didn't he would never forgive himself. He had expected them to ask questions, or shrink away from him in horror, terrified of him now that they knew what he was capable of.

He hadn't expected to get hugged tightly from either side, with reassurances being whispered into his ears. He hadn't expected to feel safe again.

"It's okay." Willie said again, snapping Pancho out of his thoughts. "It's okay, you're safe! Uncle King Julien left ages ago, with Zora. He's gone, you can come back to the village."

This news hit Pancho like a smack to the face.

"He, he's gone?" The felon stammered nervously. Willie nodded and smiled reassuringly. Pancho breathed and suddenly felt like a huge weight had just removed itself from his shoulders. The former king was gone. He was safe now.

So why did he still feel scared?

Pancho was hit by a sudden wave of paranoia so huge that all attempts at breathing regularly were forgotten. Panic settled into his very foundations and he frantically shuffled as far away from Willie as he could get, his back pressed painfully into the bars of the cell, tail clinging to the wooden struts with anxious desperation. He couldn't control his hyperventilating, or prevent his entire body from shaking. He clutched at his head, desperately searching for something, anything, to ground him and prevent him from losing himself in his own terrified mind.

"Pancho!" Willie exclaimed, shuffling cautiously towards his friend. Pancho help up a frantic hand to stop Willie from coming any closer. He couldn't bear the thought of anyone being close to him right now. It was suffocating. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't...

"What if he's still here?!" Pancho cried, gasping for air, his entire figure shaking violently. "What if he stayed, he, he's still here, he's waiting for me, he's gonna, he's gonna..." His breath caught in the back of his throat and emerged in a sob. "Please don't let him take me."

"Okay." Willie said quickly. "Okay I won't. But you can't stay here all night!"

"Watch me!" Pancho clung limply to the bars of the cell, wiping away his tears. "If I hide then he can't find me!"

Willie sighed a little, and stood up. Pancho wondered if he was going to leave, but seconds later he yelped as Willie scooped him up in his arms and began to carry him out of the cell.

"What, no, put me down!" Pancho gasped, unnerved by how easily Willie was able to hold him. "I can't leave!" Willie simply shook his head and continued walking, carrying Pancho bridal style down the prison steps and out of the gates.

"We need to get you out of here." He said firmly walking and holding Pancho securely with ease. The felon struggled feebly in his hold, but deep down Pancho knew he could have easily jumped out of Willie's arms and ran away. Pancho eventually stopped struggling and just let his friend carry him towards the village.

"Okay?" Willie glanced down at him as they neared the huts. Pancho just nodded. The rain was beginning to get to him again and he shivered miserably, feeling water drip off his nose and trickle through his fur.

Willie arrived at his hut and pushed the door open with his foot. He brought Pancho inside and deposited him gently on the couch before going off to search for blankets to dry them both off with. Pancho just sat there, glancing nervously about at the familiar features of his friend's hut. There were his water barrels, his bed tucked away in a corner, and his pot plants sitting all over the floor in corners and on the shelves in neat rows. He knew every inch of the place, and the familiarity like a warm hug to his senses, telling him that everything was going to be okay.

"Here." Willie approached him and Pancho felt something heavy and soft drop onto his shoulders. He glanced over to see Willie had draped a thick blanket over him, a smile on his face. His friend then pressed a warm cup into his hands and sat down next to him, toweling off his own sodden fur.

"Wha, what is it?" Pancho stammered, still shaking a little from the cold.

"Golden Julien." Willie replied, arranging the blanket so it tucked more firmly around Pancho's shoulders. "It'll calm you down." He gestured to his own cup sitting on the arm of the sofa.

Pancho sniffed the beverage suspiciously first, then took a sip. Instantly he felt a rush of warmth flow through him, sending the shivers out of his body and calming his mind pleasantly. He took a few more sips, then set aside the cup to snuggle into the blanket and dry off from the rain.

"Thanks." He murmured as safety and warmth began to spread through his body. "I don't know what I was panicking about, I just, well I-"

"Hey, it's okay." Willie put a hand on his shoulder. "Pancho, I promise nothing will find you here. Well, Uncle King Julien has already left the kingdom, but even if he hadn't, you'd still be safe."

Pancho smiled softly. Now that he was out of the jail and out of the rain everything seemed much clearer, the panic that came with the memories falling back to the farthest corners of his mind again. He took a slow, deep breath and finally felt the paranoia let him go.

"Whew, okay, I knew that, it's just a lot sometimes, you know?"

Willie nodded sympathetically. "I know." He said, sipping from his own cup. Pancho smiled, a little embarrassed.

"You don't mind if I sleep here tonight, do you?" He asked, glancing up to meet Willie's eyes. Willie shook his head.

"Of course not. I'll grab the couch pillows."

Pancho grinned sheepishly. "Sorry." He muttered. Willie just shrugged.

"I mean, what are you gonna do?" He said. "Just try and get me or Horst next time, I was really worried about you."

"Aww, you guys really care." Pancho snickered.

"Duh, of course!" Willie rolled his eyes. "We're your family."

Pancho smiled, as a soft and warm feeling slowly flooded his chest like a gentle wave. _Family_.

Strangely, amongst all the panic and paranoia he hadn't forgotten what that felt like.

Pancho raised his cup to clink against Willie's and allowed himself to feel safe.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are my lifeblood


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